There is disclosed that substances with a protein kinase-inhibiting activity, 3-amino/hydroxy-4-[4-benzoyl-phenyl carbonylamino/oxy]azepanes stimulate the growth of hair (see EP663393 A1); but said protein kinase inhibitors have a protein kinase A (hereinafter referred to as PKA)-inhibiting activity along with a protein kinase C (hereinafter referred to as PKC)-inhibiting activity.
In hair-follicle organ culture systems, a PKC inhibitor, H-7 [1-(5-Isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine] is known to release the hair growth-retarding activity of a PKC-activating substance, 12-O-tetragalloyl-phorbol-13-acetate (see British Journal of Dermatology, 133, 5, 686–693, 1995). Said H-7 is further known to have a PKA-inhibiting activity along with a PKC-inhibiting activity (see BIO/TECHNOLOGY, 8, 732, 1990).
In hair-follicle organ culture systems, the PKC inhibitor, H-7 releases the hair growth-inhibiting activity of 12-O-tetragalloyl-phorbol-13-acetate, but said PKC inhibitor has not been known to have a hair growth-promoting activity (see British Journal of Dermatology, 133, 5, 686–693, 1995).
Protein kinase inhibitors having both a PKC-inhibiting activity and a PKA-inhibiting activity could not always be expected to produce satisfactory hair growth-promoting results. H-7 and 3-amino/hydroxy-4-[4-benzoyl-phenyl carbonylamino/oxy]azepanes could not always be expected to produce satisfactory hair growth-promoting results, because such compounds have both a PKC-inhibiting activity and a PKA-inhibiting activity.
The present inventors have first found that PKC-specific inhibitors produce satisfactory hair growth-promoting results.